Toto Wolff is plunging Mercedes in to Formula E in 2018
Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd has signed an agreement with Formula E to take an option to enter the FIA Formula E Championship in Season 5 (2018).
Mercedes’ hugely successful Formula One outing has no doubt shone a golden halo of performance and prestige on their AMG road cars, and the ever increasing sales of Mercedes’ performance models is, in part, due to their F1 success.
But the world is moving away from performance delivered by ICE cars (even F1 is hybrid), and the next few years will see a big increase in the number of electric cars on sale as car makers squeeze every last drop of range from lithium-ion batteries, and more efficient motors, to create electric cars with a range comparable to an ICE car, and perhaps game-changing Graphene batteries/Supercapacitors arriving to completely change the game.
So to make sure they’re at the forefront as they start to roll out a range of electric cars, Mercedes are planning to join the likes of Jaguar, BMW, Audi, Renault et al in Formula E, although not until 2018, as a rolling, competitive testbed for all things electric car.
Why wait until 2018 to join Formula E, you may ask?
Well, the fact is that by the 2018/19 season Formula E is expected to move to team cars (rather than the current common chassis and batteries), and with just one car and driver per race. Much more appealing for development work – and for the kudos of success.
Toto Wolff said:
We have been watching the growth of Formula E with great interest. At the current time, we are looking at all the options available in the future of motor racing, and we are very pleased with an agreement that secures us an opportunity to enter the series in Season 5.
Electrification will play a major role in the future of the automotive industry. Racing has always been a technology R&D platform for industry and this will make Formula E very relevant in the future.
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